Centre tasks federal government on patients bill of rights

The Centre for the Right to Health (CRH), an NGO, has called on the Federal Government to make better efforts towards the implementation of the Patients’ Bill of Rights launched in 2018.

Mrs Stella Iwuagwu, the CRH Executive Director, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

Iwuagwu said that launching the bill showed sincerity of purpose to ensure protection of patients rights, but that much more needed to be done to see to its implementation.

The executive director said that implementation of the bill has been lack-lustre with limited resources allocated to enforce the act.

“It is one thing to pass a law, but it is yet another to implement, monitor and enforce them. Implementation has been lackluster.

“Resource allocation to implement and enforce the Act has been limited.

“On the part of the government, one can say sincerity of purpose and commitment to ensure patients’ rights are respected pushed the federal government to launch the bill.

“Also this purpose pushed it to promulgate and sign into law the National Health Act which provides for, guarantees and protects patients’ rights; though it took many years of consistent advocacy by Civil Society Organisations including CRH before the government could sign the National Health Act into law.

“The Patient’s Bill of Rights was launched in 2018 but till today, a lot of people including health service providers are not even aware of its existence.

Adesunbo Onitiri, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Lagos Central Senatorial candidate in the last elections, has flayed the Federal Government’s order on Nigerians to surrender their guns before June 1. He said the order should be reconsidered in view of the growing insurgency and kidnappings in the country.